Evaluation of High-Temperature High-Frequency GaN-Based LC-Oscillator Components

IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 67, pp. 4587–4591

Abstract

In this work, an evaluation of the performance of discrete elements intended for an L-band high-temperature GaN-based LC-oscillator is carried out between room temperature and 300 °C. GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on sapphire substrate, metal- insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors, thin-film inductors, and resistors on sapphire and quartz substrates are fabricated and characterized through dc and S-parameter measurements up to 20 GHz. The GaN HEMTs on sapphire achieved ft of 18 GHz and fmax of 30 GHz at room temperature and ft of 11 GHz and fmax of 21 GHz at 300 °C while maintaining dc gate leakage below 0.1 mA/mm at 300 °C. MIM capacitors are characterized at temperatures up to 300 °C and at frequencies up to 10 MHz, showing stable capacitance values with changes as small as 1.37% over the entire temperature range. Planar spiral inductors are characterized using S-parameter measurements up to 20 GHz and 300 °C. While a temperature stable maximum oscillation frequency above 1 GHz is achieved, the quality factor degrades by up to 48% at 300 °C. A detailed analysis of the temperature dependence of the inductor is given.

Authors 12

1. Alessandro Ottaviani

   Institut für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut Für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart (IMS Chips), Stuttgart, Germany

2. Paula Palacios Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

3. Thorsten Zweipfennig Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

4. M. Alomari

   Institut für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut Für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart (IMS Chips), Stuttgart, Germany

5. Carsten Beckmann Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

6. David Bierbüsse Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

7. Jens Wieben Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

8. Jasmin Ehrler Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

9. H. Kalisch Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

10. Renato Negra Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

11. Andrei Vescan Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

12. Joachim N. Burghartz

    Institut für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut Für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart (IMS Chips), Stuttgart, Germany